Down In The Dumps

Depression Stole My Soul

Depression lurks around like free-floating bacteria; you can catch it as easily as catching a cold. Many people are depressed and do not even know it. In children, depression may present as irritability. A very common initial presentation of depression reported by patients is fatigue; “I feel tired all of the time.”

Many people don’t want to admit feeling depressed; they see it as a weakness. They think that it can’t be happening to them, so they experience denial. But denial does not take away depression; if anything, it makes it worse. Depression strives in denial; it wants you to stay in that state of mind.

Some people are so depressed that they can no longer function. They report that they have to force themselves to eat; it becomes a chore. Some will not get out of bed all day; they will remain paralyzed for hours at a time, only to get up to use the bathroom. Imagine no sunlight entering your home and laying like a corpse for 12 hours at a time!

The worst thing that you can do for a depressed person is to not take their condition seriously; this can actually be the trigger for them to pull the plug and end their life. When you are suspicious of someone being depressed, believe it! And help them seek help before it’s too late.

You have no idea how much help you can be to a person who has had their soul stolen by depression. In their eyes, you become like their guardian angel, giving them hope and guidance. But if their guardian angel disappears, what is left for them to keep pushing forward? Usually . . . not much.

Don’t allow depression to keep spreading like an evil virus, consuming everyone who enters its path. The more we open up to each other, the easier it will be to overcome depression. But if we remain isolated, selfish and ignorant, many people will continue living in pain; many will also continue to end their life.

Together we can.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)